Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-08-09

these lands are to be Ylate!
upon the market for sale. This confusion
snd uncertainty is beginning to have g
marked effect upon the settlement OF Ills
country. HOme-seekers turn away dis
appointed when informed of the existing
state Of affairs. The second section Of
the law provides that the Commissioner
Of the General Lsnd Otice "slall, SIS soon
as practicable, adopt such regulations, not
inconsistent with the constitution or this
aCt, SIS may be deemed necessary for car
TyiDg into effect the provisions CT this
act, and may, from time 10 time, alter or
amend such regulations SO ss 10 protect
the public interest; bu. ell regulations
shall be- submitted 10 the Gov
eraOr for his approval before ad0p-
ton Or PRONUNCIATION. what reg
ulations have been submitted
TO you tor approval? Sometime ago l
wrote letter to the corresponding clerk
Of the school land department Of the Gen
ersl L9nd Office Tor printed copy of the
rules end regulations adopted, suppOsing
the shove requirement OF the law to
be the first complied with, aud he replied
TO me that enc permanent rules AMI regu-
stiOns appear to have been decided upon,
and none are printed. Ny Instructions,
are 10 write SpGpdeuts that leases
Will be accepted nov, subject TO classi-
tiCatiOn a1d the rights reserved TO actual
settlers or any surveys within the lease.
a great many leases are being
me de-" lily Interpretation OF the
fifteenth section OF the act Is that
the Commissioner is not presumed
or permitted TO accept 81 appiiCat or 20
lease unless he is "sstisded thst the
lands applied for are not in immediate
demand for purposes u actual settle
ment, and that such lands can
be leased without detriment to tue
IpU5lic int rest. I can see no other
reasonable Interpretation or con
! s!ructiou il VIE attempt to reconcile
the various provisions OF the law, be
cause the ebovef section unequiyoc2IIY
declares that ono lands classified as graz
ing land under this act shall De subject
! 20 sale during the existence Of such lease
and the possession thereof by The lessee
! shall not be disturbed during the term
Of such lea5ef-o Ioog as the rents are
paid promptly in advance each
year 6s required by this act"
These things cause US 10 view
| with alarm the situation Of The frontier
and practically Danish every hope CT an
]
lands are leased before a chance Is given
coming emigrants to buy, then the door
| is closed 10 al sales except TO those now
on the l3nd-a number comparatively
| few to Whist viii come within few
months after the completion of the two
| railroads, the Fort Worth AMI Denver end
! Southern Kansas, now being rapidly Cou-
IsTucted through this country from off
fereGt directions. True, the law provides
tlat The lands claesad as agricultural
shall be leased, subject TO sale; put from
VIVA. | hGye seen aud heard Of the state
| agents sent out 10 classify l car form 10
satisfactory idea u the class in which
they will place these lands. Ia CONVEX
sGtIon with one Of these Classifvrs or
state agents few days ago l learned 70
my establishment tAat the agent had never
Oeen in this part Of the state until he
started TO his pest Of duty; that he knew
practically nothing about it, that be had
been for the last eight years shut up il
the General Land ONCE as a d-ai1sm2n
and had no opportunity to learn much
about the county. He did not seem TO
have any rules or regulations or sven in
lstrUctiOns by winch he was to be gov
Termed in making "skillluj classification
and valuation" OF the lands. He avowed
his mention Of making 3 topO-
graphical report on the lands, with
description OF soil, water, etc, TO the
Commissioner, leaving It to him to ClsssI
fl and value it. The Commissioner has
heretofore informed me that he had re
personal knowledge Of this country and
its lands. II this is to be the mode Of get
ting at the classification and valuation CT
these lands 1t occurs to me to be g clear
case Of the biad leading the blind Sec
ton Ct the law says that "the Commits
siOner Of the General Land ONCE shall
cause all the lands belonging to the seV-
eral funds named in this set which may
be in demand for immediate settleme 1T to
be carefully and skillfully classified and
v5lued, and for this purpose ne may ap-
point, with the approval of the
Governor, such number Of com
petent state agents as NAV be
cessarY TO effect such classification and
valuation" What did the Legislature
mean by "COmpetent state agents." Did
it not intend that the agent should be
'competent" for mis- special business?
4 man who has never been in this COuu-
try is no more competent TO classify and
value these lands than man who never
saw g snip is to classify and value feet
of war vessels. The appointment Of
these state agents being subject to your
approval the people of right may justly
hold you responsible for "skillful cIas
sifcation and valuation" of these lands.
A current rumor that the dry lands are
to be valued st s. per acre and the wa.
tered lands at s. per acre has added
much to the anxiety Of the people, es-
pecially those who have settled on the
land and made Improvements. This and
many other rumors CT alike disheartening
effect are being constantly circulated
through the country, all Of which, as you
well know, will soon have decided
effect upon our progress. l believe ths'
most, if not all, Of these reports are
false and grounGless, and perhaps circu-
lated by designing persons, but no one
can deny their evil effect upon new.
corners into the country, who are unac
quainted with the land laws of this state
You will doubtless admit that the Legis.
lature did not contemplate the leasing Of
any of these lands where they
are in demand for purpose:
of immediate settlement" You will, NJ
| doubt, further admit that there is every
reasonable indication that the Panhandle